New figures have shown that failed house moves are costing buyers and sellers £900 million a year.
One in four sales in England and Wales fall through, often after both parties have spent money on solicitor fees, surveys and other costs.
The average amount spent before the deal collapses is £3,370, said property firm Quick Move Now, who found 29% per cent of sales fell through before completion in the third quarter of this year.
The main cause of the failure comes from a buyer not being able to get the mortgage they want, accounting for 40% of the broken transactions, while another 27% were from buyers or sellers simply changing their mind or not agreeing when negotiations over the price break down.
A further 14% was attributed to being in a chain which breaks down, gazumping - when somebody offers a higher price for a house than what the seller has previously accepted from another buyer - was behind 12% of cases and issues uncovered in the survey made up 7%.
The rate of failures is 2% higher than the same period last year but down 10% on the same quarter of 2022 when mortgage rates were higher and Britain was coping with a cost of living crisis.
Quick Move Now MD, Danny Luke, said: "People may be surprised by the high number of property sales impacted by difficulty securing a mortgage, but there is good reason for it.
"When sales volumes were lower, only those in a very strong financial position were moving. Higher mortgage interest rates meant much of the market was being driven by cash purchases.
"Now mortgage interest rates have started to fall, and sales volume is beginning to increase, a greater number of sales are reliant on mortgages.
"Many existing homeowners who are considering moving are unaware of how much higher interest rates and cost of living will impact their mortgage affordability assessments.
"We're also seeing lenders exercise more caution when approving mortgages. Although the economy is picking up, and there is a lot more optimism in the market, lenders are vigilant to several external factors that have the potential to impact future inflation and buyer affordability, such as current foreign political uncertainty and global conflicts."